How bullying harms the brain
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Research pinpoints the brain-damaging force of bullying.
By Jennifer Fraser Ph.D.
Two researchers have found that bullying damages a number of brain regions in children. The damage is such that victims fail to understand social cues, fail to think clearly, and fail to have a handle on their own behaviour and emotions. It’s devastating.
Researchers Iryna Palamarchuk and Tracy Vaillancourt conducted a meta-analysis of studies, including their own studies, on the impact of bullying victimisation on the developing brains of children. Although they focused on the amygdala, fusiform gyrus, insula, striatum, and prefrontal cortex, they acknowledge that the negative effects of bullying are not limited to such areas of the brain. They explain that neurological interplay between the regions ‘contributes to the sensitivity toward facial expressions, poor cognitive reasoning, and distress that affect behavioural modulation and emotion regulation.’
In other words, when damage occurs to these bra...
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